Michael McCawley appointed director of admissions at UC Santa Cruz

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Michael McCawley as director of admissions at UC Santa Cruz.

Michael, who most recently served as associate director of admissions, has worked at UCSC for 30 years. He started as a frontline advisor then moved on to the application processing coordinator position in the Admissions Office. In 2007-2008, Michael served as acting director of admissions.

Through his dedication, expertise and leadership, the office has achieved great results from recruitment and yield outcomes, increased the academic profile and diversity of students, enhanced marketing and communications, and systems conversions, increased selectivity, and most recently led the conversion to holistic review. He has a great ability to hire incredible staff, value their unique perspectives, and ensure successful outcomes.

The Academic Senate Committees on Admissions and Financial Aid (CAFA), Educational Policy (CEP), and the Web Steering Committee, among many other committees, have benefited greatly from Michael's expertise and perspectives over the years.

Michael's leadership and expertise goes beyond the campus to the entire UC system. He is considered an expert by many at the Office of the President. He was instrumental in the Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) program and the many technological enhancements since the program began.

It has been rewarding working closely with Michael in my capacity as associate vice chancellor of enrollment management and director of admissions. I couldn't be more confident in having him take on the full leadership role as director.

Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Richard Hughey said Michael's "experience as the senior associate director, combined with creativity, dedication, and attention to intricate detail, transitioned the campus from non-competitive to competitive a decade ago.”

As he enters his expanding role, he will be working to form the entering cohort of students for fall 2012 reflecting excellence and diversity from our 40,600 applicants. Preliminary numbers show a 12 percent increase from last year. Admissions' work has led our campus toward Hispanic Serving Institution status and produced and a 78 percent increase in non-resident applications for Fall 2012. While we continue to face an array of challenges and opportunities, Michael and the Office of Admissions continuously celebrate the growth of opportunity and excellence on our campus.

Michael holds a B.A. degree from San Jose State University in public relations and a minor in speech communications.